KANSAS STATE ASSOCIATION of FIRE CHIEFSThe mission of the Kansas State Association of Fire Chiefs is to provide the chief fire officers and managers of emergency services in Kansas with a forum to discuss issues and dispense information applicable to life safety and property conservation, and to provide education, services and representation to enhance the professionalism and capabilities of the fire service.

The focus of this site will be to inform members of association activities, provide a schedule of KSAFC events and training opportunities, function as a centralized point of communication between the Association and its members through news items, as well as be a resource for state, national, and international links related to fire fighters.

Contact the Great Bend Fire Dept at 620.793.4140 for additional information.

Special Committee on Judiciary met to hold a hearing on the proposed changes to the Kansas Administrative Procedure Act, KAPA, August 28th.SB 351 originally mirrored a bill (SB 197) sought by the office of the State Bank Commissioner to correct what appeared to be an error in K.S.A. 75-37,121(h)(5), which referred to the “state banking board” but not the “office of the state bank commissioner” in the list of agencies exempted from the requirement to use presiding officers from the Office of Administrative Hearings. Instead of changing the exemption to cover all OSBC proceedings, the bill was amended to remove the exemption in its entirety and require nearly all sate agencies to use the OSBC whenever the presiding officer is not the agency head. The final version of SB 351 did not prohibit agency heads from serving as presiding officers but that issue was reserved for further study by this committee.

This would affect the Firefighter Relief Program handled by the State of Kansas Insurance Department. Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger testified that this would have an affect on her department because at the present time the assistant Insurance Commissioner handles hearings. There were eighteen other agencies listed in opposition to the change and the group chose three to testify rather than all eighteen. No one testified in support of the changes.